Sunday, August 12, 2012

Heating Up

Starting pitcher:
M.C. O'Connor

It hit 100 here this afternoon, the hottest day of the year so far. Things are getting hotter and hotter in the NL West, too. Both the Giants and the Dodgers took two of three from their weekend opponents and the one-game separation in the race continues. Barry Zito looked perfectly Zitovian in his 5-1/3 innings, but the real mess came when relievers George Kontos and Clay Hensley got the ball, turning a 4-3 lead into a 6-4 deficit. Fortunately the Giants exploded for five runs in the 8th to subdue pesky Colorado. Until their bullpen meltdown, they did not play like a .366 club. The winning rally started when a pair of rooks--Brandon Crawford and Hector Sanchez--got back-to-back hits to open the inning against Matt Belisle. I thought Sanchez' ball was going out, then I thought Dexter Fowler was going to catch it, but it bounced over the fence just out of his reach. Men in scoring position with less than two outs is not the Giants forte, but this time it all worked out. The Rockies went with Rafael Betancourt after Melky Cabrera's grounder up the middle brought in the first run, and you knew Buster Posey would deliver in his plate appearance. It was an epic 10-pitch battle before the sac fly tied things up, easily the most dramatic sequence of the game. I remember thinking, with two on and two out after that, a three-run homer would be just the ticket. FNG Hunter Pence sure needed a big hit for his new team as the .149/.163/.234 line was looking a little weak. Fortunately he sent the crowd home happy with the winning bomb. I can't wait for his bat to heat up.

The Washington Nationals, the best team in baseball, come to town for three big ones starting tomorrow.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. How about Brandon Belt (.260/.360/401) with four hits and a walk? Get hot and stay hot, man!

3 comments:

Pence was actually batting 137.5 before that AB as a giant. 149 before the game. He was due. Nice game for Belt and Posey, to bad that until the 8th inning that Pence was batting between them. Should have Pablo back tomorrow, hope he is ready.

I switched to the Olympics when we fell behind and watched an African fellow win the marathon. That took a long time, but I enjoyed watching the scenery of London. I wished I'd seen Pence be the hero. I've been eager for this to happen. I'm equally psyched about the 4 hit game by the taller of the 2 Brandons, our first baseman.